Shays: No money for TV ads in Senate run

Neil Vigdor

Published 5:53 pm, Saturday, June 16, 2012

Photo: Stephan Savoia, Associated Press

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Connecticut Republican Senate candidate, former Rep. Christopher Shays responds to a question during a his Senate debate with former wrestling executive Linda McMahon, Thursday, June 14, 2012, on the University of Connecticut campus in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) less

Connecticut Republican Senate candidate, former Rep. Christopher Shays responds to a question during a his Senate debate with former wrestling executive Linda McMahon, Thursday, June 14, 2012, on the University ... more

Photo: Stephan Savoia, Associated Press

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Former U.S. Rep Christopher Shays, R-Conn, right, gestures while seated next to 2010 U.S. Senate nominee Linda McMahon, during a debate for the seat being vacated by U.S Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., in Norwich, Conn., April 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) less

Former U.S. Rep Christopher Shays, R-Conn, right, gestures while seated next to 2010 U.S. Senate nominee Linda McMahon, during a debate for the seat being vacated by U.S Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., in Norwich, ... more

Already in a 29-point hole against McMahon, according to the most recent Quinnipiac poll, Shays raised eyebrows Thursday with a revelation that he doesn't have the money to air television ads before the Aug. 14 primary.

"We have not placed any ad buys as of right now," said Amanda Bergen, a spokeswoman for Shays.

Bergen cautioned that the situation remains a fluid one for the former congressman, however.

"We look forward to being on as many media outlets as possible between now and the November election," Bergen said.

The momentum is trending in favor of McMahon, whose lead over Shays in the state's leading public opinion poll has tripled since March.

McMahon, who won the party's endorsement by a 2-to-1 margin at the state GOP convention in May, is within 3 percentage points of Democratic frontrunner Chris Murphy in a hypothetical general election matchup.

And now comes this moment of candor from Shays, who served in the House from 1987 to 2008.

"I don't see how Chris could possibly win this primary without ads. It's quite amazing for him to say that."

In contrast, two-time Senate contender McMahon is a familiar presence on the small screens of Connecticut, going on the air before and after the state GOP convention with homespun vignettes of herself as a job creator and mother who overcame personal bankruptcy to flourish as the former chief executive of WWE.

At a June 7 fundraiser in Greenwich for Shays, former White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove contended that McMahon would come back down to Earth once other candidates took to the airwaves.

"A couple million dollars of unanswered TV does wonders," Rove said. "She's got near name saturation."

Rose characterized the ads run by the McMahon campaign as compelling.

"Ads can move people fairly quickly," Rose said. "He's really just digging a hole for himself."